Balenciaga Eiffel Tower Crystal-Embellished Shirt | Look 12, Spring 2019 Runway
A Sparkling Piece of Balenciaga's Paris Homage
This is the Balenciaga crystal-embellished shirt from look 12 of the Spring 2019 runway show, shown in Paris in September 2018. The shirt is covered edge to edge in a scattered, allover pattern of Eiffel Tower motifs, each one rendered entirely in sparkling crystal embellishment against a black ground, one of the standout embellished pieces from a collection that Hypebeast specifically called out for its bejeweled Eiffel Tower patterns.
Cut with a sharp, pointed collar and a clean, structured fit, the shirt was shown on the runway underneath a matching double-breasted blazer in the same crystal Eiffel Tower print, creating a fully coordinated head-to-toe sparkle look. Worn on its own, the shirt still carries all of that same runway impact, a dramatic, glittering statement piece that reads as eveningwear as easily as it does directional daywear.
Balenciaga's Spring 2019 collection marked a turn toward "modern glamour" for Demna Gvasalia, as WWD noted in its review of the show, with the designer moving away from his earlier streetwear leanings toward more polished, sculpted tailoring. The crystal Eiffel Tower motif became one of the season's clearest visual signatures, a literal, glittering homage to the house's Paris home, deployed across blazers, trousers, shirts, and dresses throughout the collection and its accompanying retail pieces.
Paired with the matching crystal suit on the runway, the shirt was part of a fully monogrammed, structured look that echoed the era's broader move toward polish and confident sculptural tailoring, while still carrying Gvasalia's love of bold, statement embellishment.
Styling Tips
Let the crystal embellishment carry the look, this shirt doesn't need much else. Wear it on its own with tailored black trousers for an evening-ready statement, or layer it under a plain blazer for a more subdued daytime take that still lets the sparkle peek through.
Photography ©Balenciaga
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